How can I tell
when I'm striving in the Spirit, or striving in the flesh (human-wisdom)? Following the Spirit's agenda, or my human-wisdom's agenda? Including wholesome agenda like family, vocation, ministry, finances. When I'm anxious, frustrated, discouraged about the outcome, that's pride, not humility. Only idolators get anxious, frustrated, discouraged.
When I'm liberated about the outcome, curious/expectant to see what Jesus does NEXT in me, others, circumstances, surrendered to His agenda, that's Jesus-dependency -- eyes and thoughts fixed on Him instead of my circumstances/performance. Ahhh. Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus. Tis so joyless and peaceless to trust in my human-wisdom, and/or the human-wisdom of others.
And when I realize I'm not trusting Jesus? CONFESS. Don't strive to do better, do right, believe right. CONFESS. Trying to avoid idolatry, internal sin, is a fool's errand. And the dark side of why I want to avoid sin: I wanna feel good about myself -- Jesus and His imputed worthiness are UNsatisfying to me. My human-wisdom wants something MORE than Jesus and and His worthiness.
Seculars are not drawn to Christians functioning as seculars, depending on our human-wisdom just like them.
-- Dave McCarty, GospelFriendships, chief of human-wisdom-dependents, always needing the convicting work of the Spirit to momentarily open his eyes to his problem
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